Fisherfolk capture dramatic discharge of sludge related to dredging
CAMERON, LA — September 9, 2025 — A burst of muck from a booster barge spewed for hours outside monkey island on September 8th. It is unknown if this was a planned or accidental release of sediment, but it is in violation of the current permits for the dredging at Monkey Island. Residents say that Venture Global’s dredging for CP2 LNG construction has been disaster after disaster — first escaping containment and filling bayous and getting into Calcasieu Lake, wrecking inland shrimp season and muddying up oysters.
****THIS IS A DEVELOPING STORY. MORE FOOTAGE AND STATEMENTS TO BE ADDED AS DISASTER UNFOLDS.****
Environmental and community advocates, including For a Better Bayou and the Habitat Recovery Project, are raising urgent concerns about possible violations of the Clean Water Act, which prohibits unauthorized discharges of dredged or fill material into waters of the United States.
Community Demands
Fishermen, advocates, and Cameron Parish residents are calling for:
- Immediate investigation by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality.
- Cessation of all discharges until containment failures are resolved.
- Remediation of fisheries and compensation for local fishermen whose gear and livelihood have been impacted.
- Full public transparency, including a public hearing to address these impacts and ongoing dredging activities.
The impacts of this unauthorized discharge add to a broader pattern of industrial and coastal infrastructure projects displacing working fishers, threatening coastal wetlands, and undermining the ecological foundation of southwest Louisiana.
Contacts:
James Hiatt
For a Better Bayou
james@betterbayou.net | 337-515-0655
Alyssa Portaro
Habitat Recovery Project
alyssa@habitatrecovery.org | 973-632-1695